Quick Drill: Standpipe Training

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01/01/2012

BY BRIAN WARD

The scenario is a reported fire on the sixth floor of a low- rise commercial structure. All occupants have been evacuated, according to dispatch. Your initial assignment is four quints, two engines, four rescues, and two battalion chiefs. On arrival, Quint 1 finds smoke showing from the sixth floor and confirms with building management that all occupants have been evacuated.

Quint 1 is assigned as the recon team and to investigate the extent of the fire. Quint 1 relays to command that each floor is approximately 6,000 square feet and that there is 50-percent involvement on the sixth floor.

Engine 2 arrives and attempts to connect to the fire department connection (FDC). The driver notices that the FDC is damaged. He quickly notifies command, and the decision is made to connect to the standpipe on the first floor. The driver places a 2½-inch siamese on the standpipe and connects a three-inch hoseline to the siamese.

During this time, Quint 3 is assigned fire attack and is ascending the stairwell with a high-rise pack containing two 75-foot sections of 2½-inch hose with a 11⁄8-inch smooth bore tip. The third team member is the "gate man," who is carrying the high-rise connection bag. This bag contains a 2½-inch wye, an elbow, and an inline pressure gauge.

Engine 2 obtains positive water, and Quint 3's gate man charges the 2½-inch hoseline. Quint 3 quickly relays to command that the fire is beyond a 2½-inch hoseline. Command orders Engine 1 to deploy a portable master stream with a 13⁄8-inch smooth bore tip on the sixth floor.

A second high-rise connection bag with an additional 2½-inch high-rise pack is brought to the sixth floor. The portable master stream is assembled and deployed. Considering the volume of water needed to supply the master stream and the 2½-inch hoseline smooth bore, a second three-inch line is connected to the siamese on the first floor to help boost volume and reduce friction loss to the standpipe. Engine 2's driver figures and adjusts the pump discharge pressure (PDP), and the attack crews extinguish the fire.

LESSONS LEARNED AND REINFORCED

In this scenario, we were able to use an empty sixth-floor parking deck located in our first-in territory, which allowed us to perform the drill in real time and flow water. This drill presented several challenges.

Ascending to the sixth floor. The first challenge was the simple task of ascending to the sixth floor, carrying a high-rise pack in 95°F weather. We commonly say this is a typical job and we will rise to the occasion when it arrives. However, this is a vital aspect each firefighter must consider. When the call comes in, can we really do the job? Fire departments can address this issue in several ways, but it is ultimately up to each firefighter to be fit for duty.

(1) High-rise equipment: two 75-foot sections of 2½-inch hose, wye, and high-rise bag. (Photos by author.)

The FDC. The second challenge was locating the FDC and finding it damaged. The incident commander's quick decision and the help of our preplans enabled the driver to connect to the first-floor standpipe to supply the sixth floor with water. As the attack team reached the sixth floor and connected to the standpipe, it used an elbow to allow for extra room between the wall and wye outlets. The inline pressure gauge was added to help determine if the proper pressure was being pumped to the sixth floor. The engine driver calculates the pump discharge pressure and pumps the engine at that pressure. If the gate man is not obtaining the correct pressure on the sixth floor, there may be additional problems with the standpipe in addition to the damage we already identified. Some of the problems could be debris, pressure-reducing valves, and incorrect pump pressure. If we are able to rule out some of these issues and still cannot obtain the correct pressure on the sixth floor, this could lead to an early evacuation of the interior fire attack crews, especially if we know that we will not be able to supply enough water for the fire.